Book Description
Addresses the common questions and concerns of the practicing veterinarian who works with small mammals. Serves as a useful reference for veterinary students, technicians, research scientists, pet shop owners, pet owners, and breeders. Because preventive medicine is crucial to small mammal medicine, coverage includes basic biology, husbandry, and routine care of the healthy animal. Also features chapters on disease management, surgery, and radiology.
Customer Reviews:
excellent veterinary reference.......2007-05-13
I have the previous edition of "the pink book", and knowledge has advanced in these species such that I desperately needed the new edition. An excellent text that is a must have if you see small mammal patients.
Very Helpful Book.......2006-04-16
I got this book so I can better understand what the heck the vet was telling me about two of my ferrets. It is a reall good resouce for pet owners to learn more about the different medical conditions that will come up with owning a ferret. However, be warned!.... This book explains thing in terminology that a vet or a vet tech will understand. It is not a book for the average person per se, but it did help me ask the right questions and to be better informed. One vet I talked to uses this book as a reference quite often. I enjoyed going through this book and it was very educational.
Ferret Owner ** Must Have ** YOU are responsible for providing the best care........2005-10-22
As a ferret owner, you have the responsibility to know what diseases or cancers your ferret could get, and for making sure they get the proper treatment as soon as possible. Early diagnosis is the key. This is one of the best books you will find and it's more than worth the money invested. Every ferret owner should have a personal copy. Check with your vet to see if they have a copy as well, this is an awesome Christmas present. Read! Highlight! Consult! Together, you can extend the life of your ferret.
The best in this area.......2003-07-27
This is that kind of book , that helps you to increase your knowledgement.
For every veterinary and student who work with Ferrets, Rabbits, or Rodents.
THE BEST book on this subject.......1999-12-19
This book is the absolute best resource on the medicine of these species. The book is easy to follow and find specific information as necessary. Most illustrations are quite useful, although in black and white. The book is organized mostly by taxonomic groups. However, the book seems to repeat itself in some chapters as well as in different chapters, and sometimes, finding information may be indexed in more than one place only to find that they are all quite similar pieces of information. I HIGHLY reccomend this book, and its is the best amount of informtion at a very affordable price.
Book Description
The 5-Minute Veterinary Consult:Ferret and Rabbit is designed to provide concise, practical information for the diagnosis and treatment of conditions and diseases in the ferret and rabbit. The unique format provides consistency and breadth of coverage unparalleled by other texts. Like other books in The 5-Minute Veterinary Consult series, the ferret and rabbit book is divided into identically formatted topics based on presenting problems and diseases. For ease of use, the book is divided by species into separate sections for ferrets and rabbits. KEY FEATURES bull; bull;Topics listed alphabetically from beginning to end for efficient research and reference bull;Topics reviewed by panel of outstanding experts in the field of companion exotic medicine bull;Each topic stands alone with little need to cross-reference to other topics within the text bull;An appendix provides a formulary of commonly used medications, reference ranges for laboratory values, and unique biological characteristics for each species bull;Includes a full-color insert with anatomical drawings of the rabbit and ferret
Customer Reviews:
While it's technical enough for a vet's office, owners will find it equally valuable........2006-11-07
Vets as well as owners of either ferrets or rabbits will appreciate this concise guide for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases in either. A series of formatted topics address all common conditions, covering diagnosis, treatment and medication and listing topics alphabetically for quick consultation. Each condition receives an overview of the basics, diagnostic procedures, treatment options, and medications. While it's technical enough for a vet's office, owners will find it equally valuable.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Product Description
Get the lowdown on keeping your ferret healthy and content.What can you do when a ferret burrows his way into your heart? Your ferret is a smart little guy, and you'll need to stay a few steps ahead of him. This fun and entertaining book shows you how to handle your furry tornado's playful energy and curiosity so you can live happily ever after with him.Discover how to:Choose the right ferret for you.Make your house ferret-safe.Train your ferret to be well-behaved.Feed your ferret properly.Select safe and creative toys.Integrate your ferret into your life.The Dummies WayExplanations in plain English."Get in, get out" information.Icons and other navigational aids.Tear-out cheat sheet.Top ten lists.A dash of humor and fun.
Customer Reviews:
Wouldn't have survived Without It .......2007-10-07
This book was a godsend. When I first adopted Lloyd, My ferret, I really had no idea. But with this book and as simple as the author explained things...I'm now an expert. I highly recommend this book to any ferret owner.
Very informative.......2007-07-12
This book is great for anyone getting a ferret or anyone who already has a ferret. I thought I knew a lot and I'm learning something new on every page.
Outdated.......2007-07-09
I first reviewed this book after I had read it and owned 2 ferrets for about a month, and happily gave it 5 stars. But after 7 months of happy fuzzy parenting, I realized I badly needed to revise my review.
The Good:
- an entertaining read, no trouble going cover to cover, genuinely funny writing and jokes
- lots of info to get you ready for ferret ownership
The Bad:
- Outdated - namely, the primary treats mentioned in this book - raisins and cheerios - are now universally considered very bad for a ferret's health, you might as well be feeding them rocks. (see the links provided at http://forum.ferret.com/tm.asp?m=30331 )
- Another result of being outdated - many of the websites and companies referenced in the book no longer exist.
- Many common ferret health problems are not mentioned. In my short time as a ferret owner, I have seen them go through a prolapsed rectum, patterned hair loss, and 'abnormal' behavior, none of which were mentioned in the book. A little research and help from friends and vets eventually taught me that none of these problems were uncommon for fuzzies, leading me to believe that the book should have at least mentioned them.
- No poop chart. Though it might sound gross, I think any long time ferret owner will tell you they have needed a poop-chart at least once. Ferrets poop - a lot, and it's one of the quickest ways to diagnose a health problem (just google "ferret poop chart" to see what I mean), but this is conspicuously absent from the book.
- Scruffing. This is when you hold your ferret by the extra skin above its neck. The action is mentioned throughout the book, but never once described clearly or safely. There is a picture of a ferret being scruffed, but the details of the method are left unclear. How something so essential can be missed is beyond me.
- Poor organization - while for the most part the book is organized reasonably well, there are some key areas that really need improvement. a simple list of toy ideas is essential in any ferret book - toys that every ferret should have (dig box, dryer hose tunnel, etc) are not mentioned anywhere. The index is also weak, making information hard to find - "poop, runny" might be listed, but not "diarrhea".
- Disconcerting. This is a minor complaint, but the author mentions hiccuping and tail wagging as extremely rare behavior, but I have yet to meet a kit who doesn't wag its tail when excited, and both of my ferrets had hiccups within the first month. Things like this make me a little uneasy about how much of an expert the author really is.
Conclusion:
- I would still recommend having and reading through this book, but I would strongly strongly advise against using it as your only instructor before buying ferrets. I found online ferret forums to be a far far better resource than this book - the combined wisdom of thousands of ferret owners turned out to be better than the musings of one (I don't know why I was surprised by this). The usual problem with forums would be that there is *too much* information, that you need to know what you are looking for, making them a bad first source of information, but ALL the major ferret forums I found out there have all the essential information instantly identifiable and accessible, even more so than this book.
- The book could be great with a new edition. For now, don't rely on it.
The best reference for ferrets - ever. .......2007-06-25
Before adopting my two ferrets, there were many things that I was unsure of. What exactly should I feed them? What shouldn't I feed them? How do I litter train them? How do I ferret-proof my house? Should I get one for my lifestyle, or two? Girls or boys?
This book addressed all of that, and so much more. I learned more than I could have ever imagined, and now I even consider myself somewhat of a ferret-expert, all because of this fantastic book! Best of all, the book is actually a very fun read. I recommend it to any current or soon-to-be fuzzbutt owner.
GREAT BOOK!.......2007-06-25
This book is great! Even if you already know alot about ferrets its a good idea to pick one of these books up.
Book Description
Back after a four–year hiatus, New York Times bestselling author Scott Adams presents an outrageous look at work, home and everyday life in his new book, Dilbert and the Way of the Weasel.
Building on Dilbert's theory that 'All people are idiots', Adams now says, 'All people are idiots. And they are also weasels.' Just ask anyone who worked at Enron.
In this book, Adams takes a look into the Weasel Zone, the giant grey area between good moral behaviour and outright felonious activities. In the Weasel Zone, where most people reside, everything is misleading, but not exactly a lie. Building on his popular comic strip, Adams looks into work, home and everyday life and exposes the way of the weasel for everyone to see. With appearances from all the regular comic strip characters, Adams and Dilbert are at the top of their game – master satirists who expose the truth while making us laugh our heads off.
Customer Reviews:
Nothing new to say?.......2006-12-28
After doing a pretty good to great job in The Dilbert Principle and The Dilbert Future and an ok job in Joy of Work Adams stumbles here with Way of the Weasel.
The strips are as funny as ever, but you'll have seen them before in the strip compilations and the daily paper. The trouble is that where he had actual insight, philosphy and something to say in his previous books he doesn't here. We either have the same old saws about management cleverly called "Management Weasels" as if it were new insights or what comes down to prose versions of the strips. The actual strips themselves are better than the prose versions.
The book does have its moments. But the start is fairly bad and you'll spend a lot of time thinking "Why am I reading this."
However if you have missed his previous Dilbert prose offerings you probably will enjoy this. If you have read Principle, Future and Joy of Work then you can safely give this a pass. You've seen it before!
A book by weasels for weasels.......2006-11-22
If I was as big a weasel as Mr. Adams assumes I am (by his own admission!), I wouldn't have bothered reading his book before writing this review. Apparently, I have a thing or two more to learn about being a weasel. The first part of this book is so over the top that it seems forced, and doesn't exactly tickle the funny bone. However, as Mr. Adams moves out of the office and begins to discuss weasels in other areas of life, it improves, and there are both good laughs and some scarily accurate descriptions of weasel behavior. As ususal, the comic strips are generally the funniest bits, proving yet again that Mr. Adams talents are best packaged in that format.
Required Reading .......2006-11-04
Scott Adams's Way of the Weasel should be required reading for all office drones/cubicle slugs etc as a survival guide in the business world.
Adams's dead-on interpretation of living in the corporate swamp is his usual fine effort in humor and sarcasm. It will be tough to take notes since the reader will be laughing all the time.
Dilbert & the way of the weasel.......2005-09-19
Prompt delivery, and in great condition. Extremely funny CD's; anyone who has worked for a large company will be laughing out loud.
Laughed So Hard I Cried: IT'S ALL TRUE!!!!.......2005-01-02
I couldn't even get past the first 2 or 3 pages without sobbing in utter hilarity, not only because the writing and wit are exceptional, but the insight is DEAD ON. I've worked for a major financial services technologies division for 14+ years, and in data processing for nearly 30, and Mr. Adams' skewering of what goes on in any company is so on the mark it's uncanny - I SWEAR he has a webcam in my office building and is rehashing what goes on on a daily basis. The flip side of this is that he IS dead on, and it's a sad, sad commentary on the state of the business world as we know it in 2005. I began my career as an eager to learn & produce programmer, and progressed to frustration, disbelief, cynicism, apathy and, now, I guess in all honesty: weaselhood. Wish it weren't the case, but the odds are so stacked against being a responsible, committed, caring professional in this psychotically mismanaged world of ridiculous rules and obstacles - to say nothing of increased outsourcing (decisions made by executives who never have to worry about THEIR jobs being sent overseas...). It is to a point where you can't survive to retirement without weaseling. And what ==is== the point of holding on to shredded values of yesteryear that would result in a precarious suite of 'golden years' when nothing and no one around you cares or supports your sense of integrity and honor? Sad, but true.
Average customer rating:
- touching and sweet
- Uplifting bedtime reading
- Action packed moralistic Chronicals
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Curious Lives: Adventures from the Ferret Chronicles
Richard Bach
Manufacturer: Hampton Roads Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Similar Items:
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Messiah's Handbook: Reminders for the Advanced Soul
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Rancher Ferrets on the Range (Ferret Chronicles)
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Running from Safety: An Adventure of the Spirit
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Illusions
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There's No Such Place as Far Away
ASIN: 1571744576 |
Book Description
From the beloved bestselling author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull (Scribner, 1970), comes a single-volume edition of all five novels in The Ferret Chronicles—Air Ferrets Aloft, Rescue Ferrets at Sea, Writer Ferrets Chasing the Muse, Rancher Ferrets on the Range, and The Last War. These fables, originally published by Scribner, are action-packed tales about courage, sacrifice, heroism, creativity, and finding what matters most in life. Readers of all ages will delight in the adventures of Stormy, Monty, Budgeron, Shamrock, and Jasmine as they continue seeking "to fulfill their highest right" and try their best to help us humans too. Richard Bach is the author of Messiah's Handbook (Hampton Roads,2004) as well as multiple bestsellers including Jonathan Livingston Seagull and Illusions (Doubleday, 1977).
Customer Reviews:
touching and sweet.......2007-04-25
This is a truly sweet and touching collection of stories about love, good conduct, trust, and living fully. One of the main themes is following your "highest right" and basing your actions on this ideal. In short, these stories are excellent entertainment and also provide good food for thought.
Uplifting bedtime reading .......2006-02-03
This Hampton Roads reprint is an anthology of five small books written from the viewpoints of five sets of ferrets. Bringing these creatures' accounts under the roof of one book makes perfect sense here, because this really is one story. Furthermore, even as a sum of five books, Curious Lives is only 371 pages long.
This book is best read aloud at bedtime with your kids, spouse or lover. Its very nature and purpose entices the reader into a magical time zone to cuddle vicariously in the warmth of being cloaked in glistening soft fur.
It is undeniably wholesome; uplifting and inspiring without being sappy or preachy; poetic without being narcissistically grandiloquent. Though the ferret characters are endearing and tender, the author never succumbs to a facile cutesiness in his storytelling. Disney Films, Steven Spielberg and other purveyors of sentimental children's fare stand to learn a lot from Bach's honest, lucid story-telling and genuine wonderment at the deceptively simple things in life.
This particular reviewer had an unusually easy time suspending disbelief in order to embrace these ferrets' curiosity, love of the moment, psychologically realistic musings, and joyful message. This is saying a lot, given this reviewer's customary tone-deafness for other people's fantasy, hard-boiled cynicism toward magical thinking, suspiciousness of stories with a message, and difficulty tracking most visual descriptions.
I'd recommend saving this treat for a "cold and stormy night", accompanied by a soulful basso continuo of distant train song. Envelop yourself and your rapt audience in fur, whiskers and sweet thoughts.
Action packed moralistic Chronicals.......2005-11-15
Years ago, when I read Jonathan Livingston Seagull, I loved it and subsequently read the other books that Richard Bach wrote. It was exciting to me to find Bach's new book, a single volume of all five novels in the Ferret Chronicles, a world populated by admirable ferrets living by their code of ethics "The Courtesies". Some of the mottos that the ferrets live by are, the more ideas you have, the more shall you be given; you give who you are, the money follows - what you do with the money, there's a different test; we find our happiness only when we follow what we most love in all the world.
The chronicles are action packed tales about creativity, heroism, courage, and living a life for all to benefit.
Book Description
What ferret owner hasn't wondered what goes on inside their ferret's furry little head? You know they're thinking something. Finally, here's a collection of ferret wit, humor, wisdom, and advice that every ferret owner will appreciate. Straight from the ferret's mouth:
#47. Never say "quit!"
#245. The longer you hold a ferret, the better life becomes.
#350. I have no idea how this electrical cord got in my mouth.
#487. Of course I use my litter box -- I slept in it just last night!
This 160-page book features all kinds of ferrety thoughts and ideas, along with a bunch of photographs of ferrets in action.
Whether you have one ferret or one hundred, you'll enjoy reading
500 Things My Ferret Told Me again and again -- it's a must-have treasure for every ferret lover!
Customer Reviews:
So Cute!.......2005-08-10
This is the cutest book on ferrets that I have seen, along with some of the cutest ferret pictures. I would recommend this book to any ferret lover.
I enjoyed it!.......2005-04-16
I received this book as a gift, so the price was never really an issue; however, I very much enjoyed the book. The only reason I didn't score it with Five Stars was because of the redudancy of photos and sometimes ideas. What was funny the first time, becomes just another nod the second round. Overall, the book was entertaining for myself as a new ferret owner, and my family as ferret-relatives lol - Its not too serious - but then I'd hope whoever purchases it understands that ferrets didn't really talk to the author - its just entertainment, so sit back and enjoy it!
NOT worth the $$.......2004-09-04
I was surprised to find how displeasing this book was, because these folks write a magazine. Perhaps that does not make them good writers. Pathetic lack of pictures. The "things" the ferret "says" range from funny to redundant to lame, more of the latter than the former. You can go a few pages, and not chuckle. There are some insightful phrases (rarely are there sentences) but there are also large amounts of fragmented ideas: I could have better spent the time reading something more intellectually stimulating. I have a great sense of humor, I read MAD and Reader's Digest Life in these US, for ex, but I found this selection lacking. Its most appreciative audience would be a 10 year old ferret lover.
Hilariously Accurate.......2004-01-31
It is the perfect representation of the ferret mind. With each page, all I could do was laugh, smile, and nod my head as at least one of my three ferrets have been there, done that, and thought that. I lent the book to a ferret-less friend who has visited and petsitted our critters, and she said she loved it. She kept wanting to read it but had to take it in small doses as her face and gut hurt from laughing so hard. This book is a definited must-enjoy, and more than worth its weight in fuzzy gold.
This lady knows ferrets!.......2003-12-14
This book is hilarious! If you own ferrets like I do, you would be amazed at how true it is. You'll have tears from laughing so hard!
About what another reviewer said - I've been on the magazine list for years, and I've never gotten any animal related junk mail. I think she may be mistaken.
Anyway - if you like ferrets or know someone who does - get this book!
Average customer rating:
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Practical Equine Dermatology
David Lloyd ,
Janet Littlewood ,
Mark Craig , and
L. R. Thomsett
Manufacturer: Blackwell Publishing Limited
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Binding: Paperback
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Similar Items:
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Equine Internal Medicine
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Manual of Equine Emergencies: Treatment & Procedures
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Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook: Desk (Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook)
ASIN: 0632048077 |
Book Description
Skin problems in the horse are a common occurrence and can often be complicated and difficult to diagnose. With an increase in the amount of horses kept in the UK in recent years, there is a strong need for a concise, practical guide to equine dermatology.This book details all of the common dermatological conditions as well as information on rarer conditions. Packed full of illustrations, Practical Equine Dermatology combines visual images with text to clearly outline principle conditions and to help ensure an accurate diagnosis.Essential reading for all those involved in equine medicine and veterinary dermatology, this book also includes:Detailed referencesAdvice on treatment and products currently available on the marketProblem-orientated layout, which focuses on a practical approach to diagnosis
Book Description
Ferrets are lovable animals, but they're also very active and inquisitive, and require training and supervision if they are to be kept in the home. Here is detailed information on keeping a healthy, happy, and compatible ferret.
Customer Reviews:
All the basic information.......2006-10-28
This was the book I purchased when I adopted Fuzzy, 5 years ago. It has all the information you need if you have never taken a ferret into your home and your life.
Sadly, Fuzzy has passed away, as of two days prior to this writing. She lived for 8 years, (she was almost 3 years old when I took her home), and her health was excellent until her last year. She was my little buddy, and I took her with me almost everywhere.
For those who would consider keeping ferret:
-They are not like dogs and cats, they need to interact with you very closely. Give them as much attention as possible.
-Ferrets are highly intelligent animals. Even if they seem indifferent, they really aren't. Young ferrets may seem more preoccupied with exploring the house, or playing with toys, but they still need your care and love (ferrets become more openly affectionate with age).
-Because they are intelligent, and therefore curious, they will get into extraordinary mischief, and they do break things. A KEEPER OF FERRETS MUST HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR! In fact, weasel-mischief can be quite hilarious from our perspective!
-Ferrets have very little fear, and very little sense of caution, they require your supervision to keep them safe! They can easily get lost or in an accident without your watchful eye! They need you!
-Although cages are sold for ferrets, FERRETS ARE NOT MEANT TO BE CAGED for long periods. The cage is there to keep them safe when there are potential unsafe conditions, such as cleaning the house, etc.
-Ferrets like to nip and bite. This is not because they are wild, vicious, or mean, its just the way they play and communicate with each other. They assume you are no different!
-They also relieve themselves quite a bit, and require frequent cleaning of their living-spaces. If your gut or bladder was as tiny, you would "go" just as often!
-Ferrets have a musty odor, but its not so bad, and you will get used to it. Besides, they are also soft, warm, and furry.
Sadly, there are many ferrets that wind up with abusive and neglectful people. These kind of people brought a ferret home because they want to show-off, or some such thing. When they realize that caring for an animal requires work and compassion, thats where the trouble starts, and the ferret suffers quite badly. If you are not one of "those kind of people", and you care for animals, you will probably make a ferret's brief life very happy.
Everything and more in a Ferret Book.......2003-03-09
The best ferret book that I have ever bought or read. Has so much more than the other books out their. You will find more on ferret colors than anyplace else. More on health and care and feeding that I have found. And the best is the Understanding Ferret Behavior!! cant go wrong with that. The book jacket (on the back)says it all The Ferret Handbook The Information You Need to Raise a Happy and Healthy Ferret. Facts, advice, and fascinating insight tell you all you need to know and much more..
A Great Beginners Book.......2001-07-27
If you've never owned a ferret before or feel like you're not knowledgable enough with the fuzzies you have now, this is a great book. It covers all the basics one needs to know when caring for a ferret, or multiples. Including ferret proofing your home, basic training technics with multiple suggestions for different behavioral problems since no two ferrets are a like and will respond differently and many many other topics. I enjoyed this book and found it very informative since at the time I purchased it I felt I needed to learn more about my sweet little fuzzies and sure did! A great book.
The best.......2001-06-19
This book tells you about everything you need to now about Fuzzies, carpet sharks, or Ferrets.
Awesome.......2001-03-19
I just lovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvve this book it described everything I needed to know!
Average customer rating:
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The King of the Ferret Leggers and Other True Stories
Donald Katz
Manufacturer: AtRandom
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0812991524
Release Date: 2001-05-22 |
Book Description
The King of the Ferret Leggers and Other True Stories collects journalist Donald Katz's most fascinating profiles of people whose lives tell us something about business, adventure, sports, politics, culture, and in a brilliant, ancillary way, ourselves.
Katz's opening story and the title piece of the book offers a hilarious yet appropriately reverential look at 72-year old Reg Mellor, unparalleled "ferret legging" champion of Yorkshire and the world. Other characters who populate this book include fitness guru Jack LaLanne, legendary entrepreneur Paul Hawken, and master political cartoonist and inspired troublemaker Bill Mauldin.
While this collection contains portraits that are varied in scene and tone, their depictions of obsession, delusion, perseverance, creativity, and good-heartedness-the list could go on and on-remain a constant. Each of these stories conveys a sense of the strangeness, wonder, and oddity of life-a theme that provides a gravitational center to this multifarious selection drawn from twenty years of an award-winning non-fiction story-teller's body of work.
Download Description
The King of the Ferret Leggers and Other Stories is a collection of journalist Donald Katz's best work across an impressive array of subjects -- business, technology, adventure, culture, and international conflict. Featuring profiles of figures ranging from Wayne Gretsky to investment pro George Soros to fitness guru Jack Lalane and coverage about subjects from the Ethiopian revolution to "ferret-legging" in northern England, this collection represents twenty-five years of outstanding journalism.
Book Description
Attorney-turned-freelance-pet-sitter Kendra Ballantyne has found a corpse in a client's apartment, and it's up to her to prove the innocence of the obvious suspects: her client's furry ferrets.
Customer Reviews:
Series is fun.......2007-06-08
Series of books is great for the purse for when you get stuck in a waiting room, etc.
NOTHING TO FFEAR BUT FERRETS.......2006-11-04
Enjoyable read and I will purchase more of her books. Right now I am hooked on PD James. It is not fair to compare.
Skip this one - you can do better!.......2006-05-27
Wow, this book is just BAD BAD BAD.
Not only does the author obviously know NOTHING about ferrets (very poor attempt at research, she had many facts just plain wrong), but the writing in this book is also pretty darn poor. I have read many other teen books (I can only hope this was intended for young teens, not adult fiction!) and this one is definitely more poorly written than average. I could only read the first 17 pages before I just couldn't take anymore - I had to skim the rest. The characters are silly, vacant and poorly written - I found myself rolling my eyes and groaning more times than I could count! The fact that this book has an average rating of four stars is even worse - if THIS book has a four-star average, what good is the rating of books in general!?
Overall, I got the impression this book was written over a weekend - and that includes research time. Not worth the effort - if you like animals and want to read young teen animal books, skip this one and try Bunnicula or The Black Stallion instead.
Needs ferret research, has stereotypical characters and predictable plot.......2006-04-14
First-research. If you are writing a series about animals, and you are using a species you haven't first hand knowledge of, is it OK to fudge facts assuming your readers won't know or care anyway?
Regarding any research-is it OK to fudge say, facts about the Middle Ages, or how to fire a particular gun, or make up some poison to create a murder method?
My opinion is, if you have a particular subject you are writing about, get the most accurate info about the subject you can, check and recheck your facts, because the reader is trusting the writer's knowledge and takes this info away from the book believing what was described about the subject is truth.
This is particularly important if the entire series is bulit around the premise of a pet sitter.Of course, not many writers are familiar with the ferret species, especially if not ferret owners. But if one is writing an entire plot revolving around ferrets, doesn't it behoove the writer to learn all salient facts?
I started reading this mystery of a pet sitter detective, Ms. Ballantyne and the facts regarding ferret behavior started off dead wrong, and continued along those lines throughout the book.
Granted, the detective lives in CA, ferrets are illegal, and she had to use the Internet to get info about them. Having done that, the detective still thinks it may be possible that ferrets ate a corpse. Not to the bone, mind you, but bites about the entire body. And she wasn't thoroughly convinced they didn't kill the victim to begin with.
Now, my question is, if the detective used the Internet, didn't the author writing the novel also use the Internet for info? And if so, didn't she read enough to understand that ferrets do not "make noise" when frightened-and wouldn't have been frightened by a car crashing through a wall to begin with? More likely, they would want out of the cage to explore the bucket seats. I won't even get into the likelihood of vampire ferrets.
And why does she confuse a domesticated ferret with Black Footed ones (*not* domesticated and not even related to the domesticated ferret) that are a hair's breath from extinction, and *not* roaming around North Dakota--and I'm referring to both species here.
So, research is very poor for this book, something non ferret fanciers may be able to overlook.
Stereotypical characters. The author kept making pointed remarks about a couple of characters' weight-to the point that the unpleasantness of one character's personality was almost defined by her being fat. Someone needs to inform this author that stereotyping people like that in fiction went out with Simon Legree and Little Nell on the railroad tracks.
Other characters, such as the pain in the behind cop, the oh-so-sexy private eye (or law enforcer) love interest, the male best friend pet spa owner, are standard in practically every amateur detective novel. No originallity here.
There are quicker, better ways of summorizing the first book's high points than the redundant recounting of them throughout the first couple of chapters. I felt as though I already read the book after the multiple references.
The plot isn't original or interesting-other than the idea of Bela Legosi ferrets.
I usually don't critize crime fiction I don't like. It is a matter of taste in many instances. But the severe lack of facts, plus irritating characters and plot, compelled me to take a stand for once.
Diane Plumley
Former Editor--Dastardly Deeds
Pet Sitting and Murder.......2006-03-15
Kendra Ballantyne is continuing her pet sitting business while studying to take the ethics exam in hopes of reinstating her law degree.
A neighbor's Hummer crashes into her house. She discovers her tenants living in her former home are keeping illegal ferrets.
Soon after she discovers a corpse in her tenants' den. The ferrets are the prime suspects. The corpse turned out to be Chad Chatsworth and Charlotte LaVerne, her tenant, and her boytoy Yul become suspects. Charlotte asks Kendra to help prove they didn't do it. Kendra had recently helped prove her own innocence. With the help of her boyfriend Jeff Hubbard, a P.I. and security specialist, Kendra sets out to look into Chad's background. She finds he had many enemies. Can she discover who killed him and why he was killed in her home and the ferrets were implicated without putting herself or others in danger?
I really enjoy this series. Kendra is such a fun character. Her pet sitting adds so much to the enjoyment of this series. Plus her relationship with Jeff and police detective Ned Noralles make for a fun read.
This cozy is a fun, easy read. I always find myself coming to the end of the book before I realize it since I just want to keep reading!
I highly recommend this book and the whole series. Can't wait to read Fine-Feathered Death, the next in the series.
Please check out www.mysteryloverscorner.com
Books:
- Goodnight Moon
- Guide to Owning a Labrador Retriever: Puppy Care, Retrieving, Training, History, Health, Breed Standard (Re Dog Series)
- Guide to Owning a Pit Bull Terrier: Puppy Care, Grooming, Training, History, Health, Breed Standard (Re Series)
- Guide to Owning a Ragdoll Cat
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
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